


I'm ready to go anywhere

by Skyepilot



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Action & Romance, Awkward Flirting, Caterpillars, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, F/M, Flirting, Humor, Implied Sexual Content, Inhumans (Marvel), Kissing, Original Character(s), Romance, Second dates, Secret Warriors - Freeform, Secrets, Sexual Humor, Skoulson - Freeform, Skoulson RomFest 2k15 REDUX, Skye | Daisy Johnson's Superpowers, Spies & Secret Agents, Teleportation, actually has a plot kind of?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-23
Updated: 2015-07-23
Packaged: 2018-04-10 00:15:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4369817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyepilot/pseuds/Skyepilot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Skoulson RomFest 2k15 REDUX - DAY 4 · 23 July - Caterpillars</p>
<p>Skye and Coulson recruit Eden Fesi and romantic hijinks ensue.</p>
<p>Title from Dylan's Mr. Tambourine Man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm ready to go anywhere

“Your op, your rules,” he said, crossing his arms to look over at her as the sun beat down on them from above.

“We’re trying to pass as civilians,” she said. “It’s an undercover op. Do I have to explain to you, again, how this works-“

He tilted his head at her and set his jaw, pushing the hat down on top of his head.

“Flying economy?” he grumbled, as they crossed the tarmac together. “I feel like I’m recruiting for SHIELD all over again.”

“You are,” she answered. “Besides, my _other_ jet is under construction,” she added. “This guy could be crucial to future operations,” she told him, as they walked towards the building out in front of them.

“Or dangerous,” he replied, matching her gait. “Bending time?”

“I prefer the term teleportation,” she added.

He did look very displeased, even from behind his aviators.

“Relativity, time and space-“

“Are connected. Like ripples. Tides across the ocean?” he continued, his voice sounding flat.

“Our conversations always start out like this,” she sighed, “And then you end up having the time of your life.”

She waved at their guide waiting with the off-road vehicle for them parked just beside the building as they got closer, the heat waves rippling off the asphalt.

“I wasn’t having the time of my life when that kid spit acid on me last month.”

“Which is why  _he’s_ in containment,” she smiled. “And fate intervened, yet again.”

She glanced down at his left hand.

“Allowing that robot arm of yours to save your pretty face.”

“I’m starting to regret introducing the idea of fate into our conversations,” he replied, turning towards her.

They loaded their bags onto the back of the vehicle and then jumped into the backseats, like clockwork.

“Warrin,” the guide said, greeting them with a raise of his hand.

“Daisy,” she said, leaning forward and handing him a piece of paper with all the information on where they were headed.

“Phil,” Coulson said, raising his hand to return the gesture.

They’d decided to give their real names, as a show of trust.  An isolated community already suspicious of outsiders didn’t need one more reason.

About a mile in, as the sun was going down over the open bush, after several meaningful but silently exchanged looks, a phone rang, and Warrin reached into his pocket to pull it out, holding one hand on the wheel.

“Change of plans,” he said, turning back to them. “Mr. Fesi wants to meet in town.”

“Where?” she asked, leaning forward.

“Alice Springs. Not far out.”

Coulson leaned back in his seat and turned to her, as she pushed his hat down over his smile.

 

#

 

“Double Tree Inn and Thai,” Coulson said, with his most charming expression, holding open the restaurant door for her. “On the adventure scale, I’d give it about a-“

“Just wait,” she interrupted, brushing past him as he watched her approach the host, who pointed out a young man sitting at a table near the back.

Something would happen.  Something  _always_ happened.

She’d changed into a dress. He didn’t see that too often these days.

Warrin sat next to their man, waving them over, like they’d known him forever.  Now wearing jeans and a t-shirt, his curly hair shoved back by a band with a tribal pattern around his head.

“Nice suit,” Coulson said, putting out his hand, eyeing the linen fabric.  The guy was probably only in his late 20s, with a big, handsome smile. “Phil.”

He gave her a little glance as she offered him her hand. “Mr. Fesi,” she said, taking it.

Shaking it, he sat down. “Call me Eden. You know Warrin, right?”

They sat down together, trying to relax at their uncommon synchronicity.

“Thanks for changing plans,” Eden said, sitting back. “I’d like to keep this out of Kata Tjuta.  Family, you know?”

“We’re just here to talk,” she began.

“How do you know about me?”

“We’re looking for...people. With unique gifts,” she said.

Eden stared back at them expectantly.

At his pause, she pointed her finger towards the glass of water in front of her, staring at it intensely.

A singing noise started for a moment, as the water rippled, then stopped.

Eden rubbed his face, intrigued, looking over at Coulson smiling to himself at the demonstration. “You tracking me?”

“Yes,” Coulson confessed. “We’d be happy to share what we know.  That is,” he said, archly. “If you don’t already know?”

He smiled slowly at him. “I can peek about, you know that. What’s the trick?”

“People like us need to remain hidden,” she answered. “You could be a lot of help with that, I understand?”

“Mobility,” Eden laughed. “Important in the modern world.  Everything’s so fast now,” he said, looking around the crowded restaurant. “Instant.”

“You could save lives,” Coulson added. “While learning to use your gifts in a safe environment.”

“Been learning,” he replied casually, leaning forward. “Passed down from my family.”

“How long?” she asked, immediately intrigued by the suggestion.

“Ancestors,” Warrin cut in.  “Came from the sky and we can go forwards and backwards. Some better than others,” he added, elbowing Eden in the side, as the other man modestly waved him off.

“Have you been visited by anyone else?” Coulson asked curiously, adding up Eden’s wary glances.

“Yeah,” Eden whispered. “It’s why I came here.”

“They’re watching us right now.”

 

#

 

“How is this on your adventure scale?” she shouted, ducking behind a table as a few other tables went flying past them and crashed against the far wall.

Coulson pulled out his ICER from beneath his jacket.

“Eden,” Coulson said, looking over at him. “Can you get us out of here?”

The room was chaos, with people knocking over tables and pushing each other towards the entrance.

“Yeah,” he said. “Wish I had a superhero costume.”

“We can work on that,” Coulson promised.

“Don’t want them seeing my face, man,” he said, a bit panicked. “I’ve got relatives here.”

“Right,” Coulson nodded. “I’ll cover you, run towards the kitchen. Go.”

“What about you guys?” he asked, his eyes getting bigger.

She stood up and threw her hands out in front of her, sending a shockwave towards the man walking towards them.

The guy raised his arms in front of him and she watched the air bend around him, the glass windows behind him shattered.

“Great,” she said.

People screamed.

“Ugh. He’s that same guy from the Everglades,” she said, turning to look down at Coulson.

“Great.”

“Some kind of shielding,” she guessed.  They’d tried to recruit him and he had decided to play for the other team.

“Oh, bother,” Eden said, full of energy, touching his friend on the shoulder. “Stay here, War.”

He ran towards the back of the room while Skye watched a person scuttle across the ceiling and follow after him.

“I’m on it,” Coulson said, meeting her eyes and hurrying after Eden.

Sticking to walls.  An ICER could handle that, right?

“Hate to do this,” she said, crouching to look over at Warrin. “Like, I don’t want to be known for property damage.”

The floor in front of them ripped up in a line until it reached the man in front of them, who was tossed to the ground.

On her feet again, she stalked towards him.  “Let’s see how you like it when someone pushes back.”

She threw another wave out in front of her, as he got to his feet and held it back with whatever power he was generating.

It sent objects around them flying in every direction, until he yelled and ended up back on the ground.

“Still not too late to change your mind,” she offered.

He didn’t look like he was changing his mind.

There was a chandelier above him, she’d go for that.

She quickly reached up towards it, as he reached out a hand towards her.

Warrin watched her face contort, gasping for air, her hands hitting an invisible barrier around her head that was shrinking by the minute.

“Oh man,” he said, looking back towards where Eden and Coulson had run.

Fighting to raise her hand above her, the chandelier started to shake.

He scrambled to his feet and looked around him. Picking up plates from the floor, he tossed them one after the other towards the man.

“Hey!  Quit!” the guy yelled in a Southern drawl, holding up his hand to protect his face. “Your turn’s next!”

The chandelier fell onto him, as he curled himself against the floor, and she collapsed to the ground, suddenly able to breathe again, sucking in air and coughing.

Warrin held up another plate in front of his face when the man raised his hand at him with a glint in his eyes.

A noise, like a humming vacuum being turned on, sucked through room as a purple-blue ribbon ripped open the space behind the man, the desert moonlight on the other side casting onto the floor of the restaurant.

“Ha,” Warrin said, lowering the plate.

Shots were fired through it and the man collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

Coulson stepped through holding his ICER, his shirt half torn, something sticky and shiny slathered across his face.

He stared over at her, a flicker of concern and then he smiled when she did. “Sticks to walls  _and_ a prehensile tongue?” he half-joked. “Gross.”

“Thanks,” she said, turning to Warrin, as he helped her to her feet.

“No worries.”

 

#

 

“Why does the most disgusting stuff happen to me?”

He was leaning against the basin, wiping at his face with the washcloth.

She watched him wince at the bruise forming on his cheek, and took the rag from him, coming to stand next to him and brushing it over the sticky substance on his face.

“It doesn’t burn or anything?” she asked. “Here, sit.”

He sat down on the toilet seat, relaxing a little as his shoulders slumped forward.

“I’m not  _hoping_ disgusting things happen to you,” he said apologetically. “It’s just a general complaint.”

“I know,” she said, smiling softly at him, bending down to continue wiping his face.  “You complain a lot lately.”

He pressed his lips together, and drew in a breath, steeling himself.

“What I was trying to say earlier,” he mumbled. “About the hotel and the restaurant.  Reminded me of the last time we went on a date.”

She raised her eyebrows at him, and ran the cloth under the sink again to get more warm water.

“Rates high on my adventure scale.   _Really high_ .”

“Are you asking me out again?” she smirked. “It took you less than two years this time. I’m impressed.”

“You might  _recall_ that we work  _this_ together.   _And_ Simmons was sucked into another dimension,” he said, protesting. “ _And_ it’s not my fault our last date was interrupted by a...subterranean invasion.”

“You really should hear yourself,” she said, shaking her head as he rolled his eyes. 

She sighed and let her hand drop to the counter. “Just starting to think you weren’t interested, that’s all.”

“I’m interested,” he said, a bit too emphatically. “What about all the flirting?”

She bit her lower lip and stared back at his, considering this.

“You’re kind of flirty.  _Generally_ flirty.”

“Eden’s talking it over with his elders tonight?” he asked, huffing.

“Yes,” she said, standing straight and tossing the washcloth in the sink at his change of subject.

“He’ll have an answer for us in the morning. And if he joins the team, maybe he can explain to you how time works?”

“Good. Then, we still have tonight,” he said, taking her still-warm hand in his, he brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them.  “I can make you dinner.”

“What else are we going to do?” she said, using her other hand to push back the cheerful print curtain hanging over the window above him. 

The moonlight was bouncing off of the dry landscape outside.

“This place is in the middle of nowhere.”

“Australia is home to 11 of the world’s most deadly snakes,” he answered standing, still holding her fingers in his.

“We should probably stay inside.”

“Good,” she said, smiling at his ridiculous line. “Because, you  _really_ could use a shower.”

She picked at the remains of his shirt. “Probably won’t need a shirt for that.”

“No. I don’t suppose I would,” he said, turning her wrist to kiss the softest part of it.

“We could play cards,” she said, slipping the shirt over his shoulder. “I have a mean poker face.”

He kissed her in reply.

 

#

 

He woke up to Skye wrapped around him.

Moving a little, just to watch her move, she stirred against him and woke up instead, looking up at him sleepily.

“Mmm _hi_ ,” she said, heavy lidded.

When was the last time a smile stretched this far across his face?

“Good morning.”

“Yeah,” she lazy-smiled. “Really good. You have very…pretty…eyes.”

She reached out her fingers for his face as he squinted at the light coming in across the bed through a slit in the curtain.

Snuggling back against his shoulder left him staring at the ceiling to think it over.

First, he was going to make her coffee.  She’d like that. They could talk.  They should talk.  Then, breakfast...

“We’re supposed to meet Eden,” she reminded him, planting a hand on his chest, then sitting up and stretching with a yawn.

Checking his phone, trying to be professional, because-

_Skye_ . Daisy. Agent Johnson.

Okay.

All those things.

But always Skye to him somehow.

“No contact, yet.”

“He might not use his phone,” she said, reaching across him, and pushing the phone out of his hand back onto the small table with a clatter.

She slid her fingers between his and moved his hands back against the mattress.

“Guess we have a little more free time?”

“I was trying to work,” he said, with a tilt of his head. “You’re distracting me.   _So much_ .”

Leaning down, she kissed him, smiling, pressing her chest against his, feeling his hands twist free so they could move over her body.

Skimming along her shoulders, then her waist, to her hips.  Retracing his path the night before all over again.

As she wrapped her hand into his hair to kiss him even deeper, he flipped her over as his lips traveled down her neck, along her collarbone.

“ _Skye_ ,” he sighed, against her shoulder, then let his teeth graze the spot as she gave a low moan.

They froze together, hearing the roaring sucking sound.

Eden was staring at them with the purple-blue portal still open behind him.

“Good to go.”

Inside the outline was a small encampment.  Looked like everyone was gathered there to see him off.

He turned towards the portal and waved. “They’re professionals, I promise!”

“This isn’t protocol,” she said, drawing the covers over both of their heads.

“I have no idea what that means,” Eden said, shaking his head, looking back to them. “Half past seven.  What kind of hours do you keep?”

“She means we’re breaking  _our_ protocols,” Coulson added dryly, sitting up.

“Mean scar,” Eden said, eyes glued to his chest. “Is that...work-related?”

Coulson turned towards her.

“On my adventure scale, this is-“

“I’ll just step outside,” Eden said, watching her roll her eyes. He dropped his bags, looking around.

“My place is nice, right? I’ll miss it.  Who’s making lunch?”

He laughed to himself.

“Guess he’s on the team,” she said, sliding off the covers and standing out of the bed once the front door shut.

She looked at Coulson’s regretful stare as she moved to her bag and pulled fresh clothes out.

“This is classified, right?” she asked, turning back to him, then tugging the jeans up.

“Definitely,” he groaned, kicking the covers off the rest of the way and standing up.

“How are you supposed to get any work done like that?” she asked as she pulled on her shirt, with a grin.

“Exactly,” he said, and raised his eyebrows at her as he jerked a pair of boxers out of his bag.

She made her way to him and kissed him solidly.

“Later,” she promised, then smacked him on the ass.

“Speed it up.   _Phil_ .”

He stared after her as she walked a few feet to the kitchen to start brewing a pot of coffee.

 

#

 

“When will I get used to that?“ she started, doubled over.

“You’ve got to ride the wave, not fight it.”

“You okay?” Coulson asked quietly, as the portal closed behind them.

Eden was looking around at the dark interior of their secret base.  All steel and exposed rock.

“You guys live in a cave? _So modern_ ,” he said with a huff, dropping his bags down to the floor.

“Thanks, Eden,” Coulson replied, putting his hand on her elbow to steady her and taking her bag off her shoulder.

“Why isn’t he about to lose his lunch again?” she finally asked, looking at Coulson.

“Him?” He pointed to Coulson. “Been to the other side already.  There’s no time there. He’s surfing.”

 Coulson’s face brightened for a moment, as she scowled at him.

 "Sorry,” he shrugged at her.  “Had no idea dying would pay off like that.”

 “This is our base,” she said, leaning back on Coulson. “The Chrysalis.”

 “Good,” Eden said, nodding. “This is where I need to be.  We have WiFi, right?”

 “I’ll be happy to give you the tour,” she replied, starting to feel more like herself again.

 “You’ve got a meditation room?”

 “Yes.”

 “On-site massage therapist?”

 Coulson picked up her bag and shouldered it. “It’s a combat training and recovery facility, not a day spa.”

 “C’mon,” she said, tipping her head at Eden. “I’ll show you to your room.”

 “Yeah. You two go on ahead,” Coulson said. “I’ll handle the unpacking.”

 “Since I’m totally going to cut all your travel expenses to nil,” Eden said, walking with her. “I hope it’s a big room.”

 “Biggest one we got,” she grinned.

 “They’re all the same size, aren’t they?” he replied, as they headed down the hall.

 “ _Yuuu-p_.”

 

#

 

“I like him,” she said, putting her arms around his neck.  “It feels good to make some progress.”

“You’ll get used to the time bending stuff,” he said back at her, and settled his hands along her waist.

They were in her room, the end of a long day and a successful mission.

A real win felt good.

She suddenly noticed the unpacked bag sitting on the small table in the corner.

“You’re heading back to the Playground?” she asked, frowning.

 “Not just yet,” he answered, tipping his head to meet her eye line.

 “Then-“

 “Where would you like me, Agent Johnson?”

 “Oh that’s easy,” she said, tugging on the front of his shirt.

 “I mean-” he interrupted, wanting for her to be serious for a moment.

 “I know what you _mean_.  We haven’t really talked about this,” she said, motioning between them.

 “I just didn’t want you to think it was ‘business as usual’, or, that I felt like I could just-“

 She stared back at him.

 “I’m not here all the time,” he said, sliding his hands down her arms to her elbows. “I don’t know how much of this is…possible.”

 “I’d like for you to just tell me what you want,” she said, cutting through all of it.

 “Right,” he said, swallowing, then looking away for a moment.

 “You,” he said, running his thumb along her cheek. “ _Us_.”

 “Then don’t worry about the rest,” she said, kissing him, as his arms tightened around her.

 “Have you ever been surfing?” he asked her.

 “No,” she said, wondering at his random question.

 “I think you’d be really good at it,” he teased.

 “Why don’t you unpack your bag, soldier?” she said. “We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

 “Talking?” he said, moving to unzip his bag. “I wasn’t planning on much talking.”

 “Strategy,” she said, seriously. “Who do we go after next?”

 “Oh, _work_ ,” he said, staring back at her as he carried in his toiletry bag to the small bathroom.

 “I _might_ be a workaholic,” she said, sitting down on the bed to take her boots off.

“Confessions?” he said, coming back out a moment later.

 He sat down next to her on the bed.

 “I like to save my strategy sessions for pillow talk.”

 “Deal,” she said, kissing him back.


End file.
